Next Sunday, Feb. 23rd, at 10:15, Carolyn VandenDolder: Northern Yearly Meeting – the benefits, the barriers and exploring the great unknown! Come for some context, input, discussion and snacks!

March 2nd at 10:15: in the meetingroom – Kellie Rae Theiss, MN nature artist, will discuss her thirty years of studying and making portraits of many varieties of species and the heart reasons she is drawn to paint. In the conference room – Doug Herron and Friends Committee on National Legislation priorities. Friendly Philosophers will meet downstairs.

Come to storytelling this Thurs evening, Feb 20th here at the meetinghouse. Informal and engaging – for newcomers and old-timers alike – a delightful way to know and be known. Everyone who is able is encouraged to come! +++ UPDATE: This event is CANCELLED due to weather conditions. +++

“Exploring Together” is an event designed to introduce families and staff from Friends School of MN to the Quaker meetings in the Twin Cities and to Quakerism in general. On Sat, March 8th, Friends School participants will gather at Twin Cities Friends meetinghouse (1725 Grand Avenue in St. Paul) for a one-time program similar to our recent Quaker Quest. The program includes Quakers speaking on topics (simplicity, worship and peace), small group discussions and a short worship. Quakers from our meeting are invited to come and help provide hospitality, facilitate small groups, work with children or simply participate in the event. Welcoming and coffee is at 9:30 a.m. The program is from 10:00 to noon. Contact Ed or Joanne for more information or to volunteer.

Dig poetry? How about jazz? You’re in luck, we’re doing it again! Come to the Poetry Jazz Café here, Sat, March 22nd, 7 to 9:30! An evening of original and favorite poems among metro area F(f)riends. What could be better? Save the date!

Tom Ward will give a power point presentation introducing Quakerism to a north metro inter-cultural group, Mon, Feb 24th. Friends are welcome to attend.

Mary Logue will speak at the Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality on Story and Re-storying Tues, Feb 25th, 6:30, at St. Catherine University’s Carondelet Center. See posted flyer for more.

There is a White privilege self-study group that meets every fourth Mon. at Twin Cities Friends Meeting (1725 Grand Ave), 7:00-9:00 pm. Feb 24: systemic racism and the concept of reparations.

Doug, MFM’s representative to Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), has offered sift through, cherry-pick, condense and send along FCNL Action Alerts to those interested in acting to affect national legislative decisions in a timely way and in line with Quaker values. This is an excellent opportunity to stay informed and protect yourself from a flood of emails from FCNL. Doug is currently collecting email addresses for those interested. (There will be no fundraising appeals.) Email him with your name and “Add me to the FCNL list.”

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. Seven weeks remain in our current fiscal year. In order to meet our budget obligations, contributions need to average about $4500 per week. Thank you, Friends, for your generous support of the Meeting in all manner of ways.

OUR WIDER COMMUNITY

White Privilege Conference (WPC), March 26-29 in Madison, WI: fgcquaker.org/WPC15. DEADLINES: Feb. 20th to request local housing with Friends; Feb. 24th to get early-bird group’s super-low fee and significant Quaker discount. NOTE: Signing up through Friends General Conference (FGC) (for the discount) is a separate process from registering for the conference itself. More than 55 Quakers have already pre-registered through FGC, at least 24 from 7 meetings and worship groups in NYM have signed up; 11 from the greater metro area. Only 2 from MFM so far. Quaker youth are especially invited to attend. Going or considering? Tell Pat. Have questions? Email FGC at ministryonracism(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)fgcquaker.org.

Friends for a NonViolent World’s annual meeting, next Sun, Feb. 23, 1:30 pm, Twin Cities Friends Meeting (1725 Grand Ave, St. Paul). Hear the year’s accomplishments, look ahead, and elect new members to the board of directors. Take this opportunity to learn more about what FNVW is doing and to engage in FNVW’s future.

The American Friends Service Committee’s Healing Justice Program will host a mini film series, Thursdays, March 6, April 10, May 8, June 5; 6:30-9:00 pm at Faith Mennonite Church in Mpls. The films are vehicles to engage people with issues of interpersonal and systemic racism and working for justice. After each film, Sharon Goens-Bradley, director of the Healing Justice program and a member of the Quaker community, will facilitate a discussion, encouraging and inspiring attenders to learn more about historical events, and supporting people as they navigate the feelings that can arise when discussing racism – guilt, shame, powerlessness, anger. Free, donations welcome. More: sgoens(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)afsc.org

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones will be in the office Wednesday from 2:00-5:00 and other times Wed. and Thurs. Pat will be out of the office Fri., the 21st, to Fri., the 28th.
Carolyn VandenDolder, the Administrative Assistant, will be in Wed. afternoon and Fri. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Bulletin items can be phoned in to the office, emailed or written and put in the bulletin file of the blue box.